Post-acute care is nursing facility or home health care following a hospitalization. It is common and accounts for over $57 billion in traditional Medicare spending. A study looked at whether spending was lower in Medicare Advantage and if that lower spending was associated with quality changes. The results showed the usual advantages of intensive attention to care management in MA, while traditional Medicare does nothing. The MA enrollees spent less time in nursing facilities and had less home health visits, but also experienced fewer hospital readmissions, slightly lower mortality and more functional gains. Medicare Advantage payment methods need revisiting, but there is little question that the program can both reduce total utilization and spending and improve outcomes. (JAMA Study)
